A Florida man admitted in court Monday to stealing nearly $80,000 in pension payments intended for his deceased father, following a joint investigation by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.

Richard Gaines Jr., 55, of Daytona Beach, pleaded guilty to first-degree identity theft in Nassau County Court. Investigators say he illegally withdrew state pension benefits meant for his late father, a retired public servant, over a span of nearly three years.

“Mr. Gaines Jr. tried to profit off of his deceased father’s nearly 30 years of public service,” said Comptroller DiNapoli. “My office prioritizes protecting our pension system and members from fraud and abuse.”

Gaines Jr.’s father, Richard Gaines Sr., retired in 1996 after 29 years with the Nassau County Bridge Authority. He died on November 9, 2019, at which point his pension payments were supposed to end. But between 2019 and 2022, his son continued accessing the funds, which were still being deposited into a bank account not in his name.

Gaines Jr. did not notify the New York State Local Retirement System of his father’s death until June 2022. By then, he had withdrawn $79,084.59 in stolen benefits, using the funds for ATM withdrawals across New Jersey, Georgia, and Florida, and spending approximately $2,484 at businesses in Nassau County.

“Public employees work hard knowing that the benefits they earn will ease their retirement,” said District Attorney Donnelly. “This defendant, motivated by his own greed, tried to take advantage of this system, and with our partners at the New York State Comptroller’s Office, we held him accountable for his crimes.”

Gaines Jr. was arrested in November 2024. He is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on July 17 before Judge Colin O’Donnell.

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